Greg Safarian/E! No one knows abs like Akin Abman Akman!
With the Emmys around the corner, Hollywood's hottest stars are tapping their trainers and an arsenal of last-minute workouts to get their bodies red-carpet ready. But who needs a workout coach when Akin—celebrity fitness trainer, IMG model and senior SoulCycle instructor—is here to demonstrate (see GIFs below) some of the most intuitive ways to tone your body at home?
Some of the stars Akin has trained, either in the spin room or at his bootcamp classes, include Sports Illustrated model Nina Agdal, fashion designer Brian Atwood and supermodel Karlie Kloss. But Akin says the essence of being fit starts with devotion. "[Celebrities] are ultimately no different than anyone else," he said. "I see a lot of types of dedication all across the board in many different ways."
Known for his intense SoulCycle classes (which book up in a minute), Akin has garnered a reputation within the workout community for approaching fitness in an interdisciplinary way. "I approach every one of my classes as a coach and make it my goal to instruct all my students to push their limits to become the best athlete they can be," the 29-year-old said. "We are constantly testing our limits and making fitness part of our lifestyles to become the best versions of ourselves."
You don't become a model for Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and more without some discipline. In fact, his most recent project was with Gigi Hadid, shooting for Tommy Hilfiger's The Girl fragrance. "[Gigi] is very professional, down-to-earth and has an amazing energy that made the experience enjoyable," he told us.
If his modeling résumé, celeb clients or life mantra doesn't give him cred, perhaps seeing the pro in action will—let's take a look at four ab exercises this athletic adonis believes are imperative for a killer red-carpet core!
Core Kick
Step 1: Lie on the floor with your butt on the ground and your legs lifted up straight in front of you.
Step 2: Place your arms by your sides and extend left leg out while tucking in your right leg over the left.
Step 3: Press your arms up and down to engage your upper core.
Step 4: Tap the right heel over and back during each rotation.
Bicycle Legs
Step 1: Start lying down in hollow body form with legs straight out on the ground and arms behind you.
Step 2: In one swift movement, bring your left leg and upper body off the ground into a 45-degree angle.
Step 3: Touch your right hand to your left foot while keeping the leg straight and as close to your torso as you can. Hold your left arm out to the side for balance.
Step 4: Return to starting position and repeat the movement on the other side with your right leg straight up and the left hand making contact with the right foot.
Step 5: Engage your core and obliques to bring your legs up as high as possible without bending the knees.
Army Crawl
Step 1: Start in an elbow plank position on your mat.
Step 2: Bring one leg up near the side of the torso, attempting to touch elbow to knee. Meanwhile, move the arm on the other side of the body up in front of your head.
Step 3: Place your weight on the bent arm and the bent leg, pushing your body forward with the bent leg's foot until your leg is straight and your forward arm comes into contact with your body.
Step 4: Engage the muscles of your core and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
Hollow Rock
Step 1: Lie on the floor with lower back touching the ground.
Step 2: Extend your legs straight out and position your upper body off the ground.
Step 3: Keep your arms straight above your head at your ears and your toes pointed away from you.
Step 4: Keeping your back hollow and slightly curved from the ground, start rocking back and forth while keeping your body tight and maintaining the hollow body form.
Step 5: Make sure your back stays rounded with the pelvis tucked under and don't raise your legs up more than a foot off the ground as you rock back and forth. Engage your lower abs to get that momentum going.